Veteran cricket administrator Frank Brache dies

Frank Brache spent many years at Newlands working for the Western Province Cricket Association. Photo: Independent Media

Cricket lost one of one its veteran administrators, Frank
Brache, after a long illness on Wednesday.

Brache was involved in cricket administration virtually all
his life, culminating in his election to the United Cricket Board of South
Africa’s first board in 1991.

Prior to unity, he started his administrative career with
the Western Province Cricket Board of Control, when attempts were made to
organise a West Indies tour of South
Africa to play against a Basil
d’Oliveira-led SACBOC XI in 1959.

In the late 1970s, Brache and former Western Province
Cricket Union chief Clem Druker organised the first merger in the Western Cape of a white
cricket club, Varsity Old Boys, and a coloured cricket club, Cavaliers.

Druker reportedly phoned Brache, who was secretary of the
Western Province Cricket Board, and told him, in Brache’s words at the time:
“Enough of this nonsense, let’s form a non-racial cricket club.”

Thorough unification in cricket, however, only occurred in
the early 1990s, after major political changes and the unbanning of political
organisations.

After unity, Brache remained heavily involved in the
organisation and administration of cricket at Western Province.

As the brother-in-law of Basil d’Oliveira, he also served as
a spokesperson for the D’Oliveira family.

“We honour his legacy as administrator as steward of the
game whose passion saw him toil with unwavering commitment until the age of
83,” said WP Cricket Association chief executive Nabeal Dien.

“We express our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the
family, friends and former colleagues of Frank.”

WPCA president Beresford Williams said: “Frank was a very
industrious, competent administrators whose labour was done with excellence. He
did not shirk the hard yards.

“As a cricket family, we are united in our grief. Frank’s
tenure spanned the periods before and after unity, and his longevity as administrator
will not be forgotten.”

CSA president Chris Nenzani added: “Frank gave a lifetime of
service to cricket in various capacities, and was very much involved in the
unity process when he served on the inaugural board of the United Cricket Board
of South Africa following the conclusion of the unity of all cricketers under
one banner.”